Baby Enigma
by ChicagoChaingang
Summary: When Jeff Hardy finds a little girl in need of a family, he can't help but take her in. But Ali's life hasn't been the best, and her stepfather's still looking for her. On top of that, Jeff's older brother doesn't want Ali in the picture. There is betrayal, abuse, and fear surrounding the Hardy Family, and Ali's caught up in the middle.
1. Little Girl Lost

The small blonde four-year-old hid behind a crate as the man who referred to himself as her father walked past, angrily muttering.

"Alisha Sierra Torrez! Get your ass out here!"

Whimpering, she crouched further into her hiding spot before bolting for the nearest door and pounding on it.

A black-haired little girl answered the door.

"Hello?"

"Help me."

The little girl pulled Alisha inside and locked the door.

"Mommy!"

Tristen Jacobs walked out of the bathroom to see her daughter trying to calm down a shaking child.

"Emmy? Baby who is this?"

"I don't know! She was pounding on our door. Mommy she has owies on her everywhere."

Tristen's eyes widened as he saw various bruises and burns dotting the child's body.

"Emmy, sweetie, I need you to stay in here and keep the door locked. I'm gonna go find Daddy and Uncle Mark, okay?"

Ember was sniffling by this point, but she nodded.

"We gonna help her, right momma?"

"Yes, Emmy Bear."

Jeff Hardy limped backstage, wincing. That Swanton had taken a lot out of him.

He watched as Tristen Jacobs raced by, then stopped and ran back to him.

"Nero!"

"Girl do not call me Nero," he said jokingly.

"Shut up. I need a favor."

"What?"

"I need you to go watch Ember and another little girl for me. They're in my locker room."

Jeff nodded.

"I will."

"Thank you."

Jeff walked to the locker room, knocking on the door.

"Little Enigma!"

He heard sniffling from behind the door.

"Emmy? Emmy open the door."

The door swung open and a pair of arms wrapped around his waist,

"Unca Jeff."

"Emmy what's wrong?"

He walked in and saw a little girl huddled in the corner, crying.

"Emmy? Who's this?"

"Ali. She has a bunch of owies Unca Jeff."

Jeff crouched next to the little girl.

"Sweetheart?"

Ali looked up to see a man with orange and green hair looking down at her.

"You okay there, angel eyes?"

She whimpered and looked over at the other little girl.

"Emmy?"

"It okay, Ali. He's nice."

Jeff sat back and waited, until finally Ali lifted her head and wiped her eyes.

"You not gonna hit me?"

He froze and shook his head.

"No, baby. I'm not gonna hit you."

"Promise?"

"I pinkie swear, little cat."

She curled her finger around his and he smiled.


	2. My Little Enigma

Jeff carried the little girl back to his locker room, setting her on the bench.

"You alright, kitten?"

Ali nodded, still a bit unsure about this man.

"What's your name?", she asked timidly, then quickly put her hands over her mouth. Dominic hated when she asked questions.

Jeff's eyes narrowed at the gesture.

"My name is Jeff. Why are you covering your mouth like that?"

"I not 'posed to ask questions."

"Why?"

"They make Dominic mad. I don't wanna get hurted tonight."

His heart stopped and he felt nothing but pure anger.

"Little kitten, come here."

Ali walked over to him slowly, knowing that any sign of disobedience would earn her extra punishment.

Jeff pulled her into his arms and she stiffened, then yelped as he touched her back.

The rainbow-haired man looked at her in confusion.

"You okay?"

Ali shook her head and whimpered.

"My back hurts."

"Can I look? I promise I won't touch it, sweetie, I just want to see."

Biting her lip, the little girl nodded, pulling her shirt up. Jeff fought not to throw up then and there.

Old scars and fresh cuts covered the expanse of skin, not to mention what looked like cigarette burns on top of all the damage.

"You poor baby. Who did this to you?"

"Dominic. I wasn't fast enough with his beer so he beat me, then p-put his cigarettes on me."

Jeff growled and pulled out his phone, calling his brother.

"Hey Jeff!"

"How fast can you get here from Cameron?"

"A day, why?"

"I might need you to bail me out of jail. Get here fast."

He hung up the phone and turned to the little girl, smiling.

"What do you say we get some pizza?"

"I'm not allowed to eat unless Dominic says it's okay."

"Well I say it's okay, kitten. Alright? I'll tell him I said it was okay."

She looked up at him, eyes wide.

"But he'll hit you!"

"I'd rather have him hit me than you, kitten," Jeff thought to himself.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I can take a hit. What kind of pizza do you want?"

She was quiet for a moment and he closed his eyes.

"Do you like Hawaiian pizza? It's got ham and pineapple on it."

"O-okay."

Jeff smiled at her.

"Alright. Let's go get some pizza."

They drove to Pizza Hut and Jeff ordered a medium Hawaiian pizza and some breadsticks, along with two sodas.

Ali looked at him with wide eyes.

"I get my own soda?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, doll."

The pizza arrived and Jeff was amazed to see the girl eat four pieces in the span of an hour.

"You hungry there, kitten?"

Ali nodded and kept eating.

"I haven't eaten since Monday."

That pissed Jeff off.

"You can eat as much as you like, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you mister Jeff."

"You're welcome."

They ate pizza until Ali said she was full. Then Jeff loaded her into the car and drove her to the hotel while she talked about various Pokemon.

He smiled at her in the rear view mirror. Jeff was already in love with this sweet little girl, and if Dominic ever showed up he would get a lesson on what happened when Jeff was angry.


	3. Lindsey

Jeff sat on the bed while Ali slept, his hand absently smoothing the little girl's hair. He was thinking about the Diva who had started earlier that day, Lindsey Frosh.  
*Flashback*  
Mz. Hyde by Halestorm blared through the arena as Jeff faced Matt and Lita. He turned to see a silver-haired girl making her way to the ring with a kendo stick in her hands.  
"And making her way to the ring, from Sin City, Las Vegas, Lindsey Love!"  
His eyes met her blue ones and she gave him a grin, tilting her head in the direction of the Commentary table where Ali was sitting.  
"She's cute, Hardy! Real cute."  
"Thanks."  
Lindsey started first, taking Matt down with the kendo stick before delivering a spinning heel kick to Lita's face.  
She tagged Jeff in and gave him the stick, smirking.  
"Go kick his ass, Hardy."  
Jeff brought the kendo stick down on Matt's back and pinned him, winning the match and picking up Ali as she climbed into the ring.  
"You beat him, Daddy!"  
"Yes, yes I did."  
Ali looked over at Lindsey, who was smiling at the two of them.  
"You did good too."  
"Thank you much, baby doll. My name's Lindsey."  
"I'm Ali."  
Jeff watched the exchange and tilted his head. Maybe Lindsey was worth getting to know.  
*End of Flashback*  
"Daddy?"  
He looked down at her and his eyebrows drew together in a frown.  
"What's wrong, Alicat?"  
"Do you think we can see that Lindsey girl again tomorrow? She's nice."  
Jeff chuckled and laid down beside her, turning out the light.  
"Maybe, Doll. Maybe."

Lindsey walked into Catering, biting her lip in thought as she looked at the breakfast items. They had burritos, pancakes, and breakfast casserole.  
"Hi Miss Lindsey!"  
She looked down at the small blonde child beside her who was holding a Pikachu backpack and dressed in a Hardyz tee, black skinny jeans, and green Vans.  
"Hi Ali. Where's your dad?"  
"He's talking to Aunt Dani."  
Lindsey smiled and passed the little girl a plate.  
"Pick what you want, kiddo."  
Ali pointed to the breakfast casserole and looked up at her.  
"Can I have some of that?"  
"Sure."  
Jeff walked up and smiled at Lindsey, ruffling Ali's hair.  
"You wandered off, baby girl."  
"Sorry. I was hungry. And I saw Miss Lindsey."  
Lindsey smiled at Jeff.  
"I don't mind her, Jeff. She's a cute thing."  
Ali giggled and walked over to her aunt Tristen, who was sitting at a table alone.  
"Auntie Tris!"  
Tristen smiled and scooted over, allowing Ali to sit by her with her breakfast.  
"Hey there, Alicat. How are you?"  
"Good! How are Emmy and Ash?"  
"They're sleeping in with Uncle Kane."  
"Aww... Have you met Miss Lindsey yet?"  
Tristen shook her head.  
"I'm sure I'll meet her soon, baby doll."  
"Hey Straightedge."  
"Hey Hardy. And you must be?"  
Lindsey stuck her hand out.  
"Lindsey Frosh, also known as Lindsey Love."  
"Tristen Jacobs, also known as Hellaena."  
"Nice to meet you. You're that girl that faced Kane in a cage match. That was badass."  
"Thanks. Let me know if you need any help, alright? I'd be happy to train with you."  
"Thank you, I appreciate that."  
Kane walked over with Ember and Ash on his back, both of whom were giggling.  
"Hi Momma!"  
"Hey kidlets. I see you finally got Daddy up, huh?"  
"Yeah. We put Reed on his pillow."  
Tristen started laughing as Kane pouted.  
"I told you it was a bad idea to get them a damn rat, Princess."  
"Aww but Reed is so cute."  
"To you! He's a _rat_."  
Lindsey watched this exchange with a grin.  
"So how long have you two been married?"  
"About four years."  
"Cute. And yet you still act like it's been four months."  
Tristen wrapped her arm around Kane's waist and smiled.  
"Well when you're as compatible as we are, it's easy to find new things to love about each other."  
"Aww... That's adorable."  
"The only thing I don't like about her is her penchant for rats and mice."  
Tristen gently smacked him on the arm before leading him away, the kids following.  
"Later!"


	4. Ali Wants to Fight

Lindsey was in the gym, furiously attacking the bag with a flurry of hits and kicks that would make any superstar cringe in pain.  
She pushed her hair out of her eyes, pulling it back into a ponytail and taking a sip of water.  
"Working hard?"  
Lindsey turned to see Jeff and Ali standing behind her. Ali waved excitedly.  
"Daddy says I can come train with him!"  
"Really? That's fun."  
"Yeah. Daddy where's the punching bags?"  
Jeff chuckled.  
"Right over there, Baby Enigma. Go have fun."  
"Kay Daddy."  
Ali skipped over and started to hit her own punching bag while Jeff watched.  
"She's a good fighter."  
"If she works on it. Ember's already learning to train with her mom and dad. I don't want this for Ali though."  
"Why? She's bound to grow up in it, Jeff. Why is it so bad that she wants it?"  
Jeff sighed.  
"There's enough problems already, Lindsey. I, I don't want to expose her to this life. I was thinking of quitting and just raising her in Cameron with Shannon and Shane."  
"Jeff, think about it for a second. She's only been here a month and yet everyone thinks she has a chance to become a promising fighter. Even at four."  
He pushed his multi-colored hair out of his face and sighed.  
"I don't want her to think she has to do this."  
"And if she wants to?"  
Ali giggled as she did a spinning heel kick.  
"Then I guess I'll let her do it," Jeff said quietly. He smiled as Ali brushed her hair out of her eyes, pouting.  
"Daddy, I can't kick it down!"  
He chuckled and walked over, lifting her up.  
"Go for the top, sweetheart. The bottom is weighted."  
She kicked her hardest and the bag fell over. Lindsey clapped and Ali turned, smiling brightly.  
"I did it, Miss Lindsey!"  
"Yes you did, baby girl! Good job!"  
"Daddy I did it! But you helped me."  
Jeff smiled and hugged her.  
"I'm always here to help, sweetheart."

Ali skipped down the hallway, her Walkman blaring in her ears as she searched for her aunt's locker room. Giggling, she threw open the door and bolted in, jumping on her uncle.  
"Uncle Kane!"  
He bolted upright and looked around wildly, panicked.  
"What happened? Who's hurt?"  
"Nobody, silly. I wanted to say hi!"  
He looked down at the little blonde and sighed, ruffling her hair.  
"Alicat, you scared me."  
"But I thought you wasn't scared of nothing!"  
Kane chuckled and set her on the floor.  
"Silly Hardy."  
Ali grinned at him.  
"Where's Emmy and Ash and Mina?"  
"Somewhere around here. I think they went to Aunt Trish's locker room, baby girl."  
"Aw. Can I hang out with you?"  
Kane smiled.  
"Of course."  
The little blonde girl crossed her legs and leaned against the bench, closing her eyes.  
"Uncle Kane?"  
"Yes, little one?"  
"Would you let Emmy wrestle if she wanted to?"  
He thought about it for a moment. Ember had been eyeing the ring a lot, asking him to teach her a few moves.  
"If that's what she wanted, then yes."  
"Daddy says he doesn't think I should be growing up here."  
"Why?"  
"I dunno. But I like it here. I like watching you guys wrestle. I wanna do it too."  
"I bet you'd be a high-flyer just like your dad."  
She nodded.  
"I want to. I wanna jump off stuff."  
Ember and her siblings ran in, jumping on their father excitedly.  
"Daddy!"  
He laughed.  
"Hey there, little ones."  
Ember smiled over at Ali.  
"Hi Ali! Are you gonna come practice with us tomorrow?"  
She nodded and smiled.  
"Sounds fun!"

Jeff carried the exhausted girl into the hotel room, laying her on the bed. He himself was exhausted and in pain, so he sat on the bed beside her, just watching her sleep.  
The day's events ran back through his mind and he smiled, remembering how Ali had been so excited to knock over the punching bag.

Maybe she would be good at this. His fear, however, outweighed the pride he felt. The fear of her turning out to be just like him. Fear of her getting caught up in the glamour and eventually burning out, becoming a shell of her bubbly, bright self.  
A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. He smiled as he saw Lindsey standing there.  
"Hey."  
Lindsey smiled at him, looking at Ali.  
"She's so cute."  
"Yeah I know."  
She stood in the doorway for a moment longer before walking off to her own room.


	5. Matchmaker Ali

Ali skated through the hallway on her scooter, giggling as Jeff chased her, yelling her name.  
"Ali!"  
"Can't catch me, Daddy!"  
She turned to look back at him and collided with Shannon Moore, who smiled down at her.  
"Whoa there, Speedy Gonzales. Take it easy."  
"Sorry. Was running from my daddy. He's trying to catch me."  
"I'll bet. Where were you trying to go, sweetheart?"  
"To Daddy's locker room. He's chasing me though."  
Shannon looked up at Jeff, who smiled weakly.  
"Meet my little girl. Can you say hi to Uncle Shannon, Ali?"  
Ali bit her lip and shook her head.  
"Don't play shy, Alicat. Come on now."  
"H-hi Uncle Shannon."  
"Hi. Your name's Ali?"  
"Mhm."  
"That's cool. Do you like wrestling?"  
"Yes sir. I wanna wrestle like my Daddy when I grow up!"  
He smiled at her and ruffled her hair.  
"Good plan, little Ink."  
Lindsey walked by and smiled at the three of them, quickly looking away when Jeff caught her eye.  
Ali giggled and jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.  
"You like her, Daddy."  
Every thought process that Jeff was having at that moment came to a screeching halt.  
"What makes you say that, Alicat?"  
"Cause you look at her like Uncle Kane and Aunt Tristen and Aunt Trish look at each other. That means you like her."  
Shannon snickered as Jeff's face turned into a mask of utter shock.  
"Damn, man. She got you figured out quick."  
"Language, Shannon," Jeff said as he thought about Ali's revelation. Was that what it was? The feeling of having everything together when Lindsey was near? Was it because he felt something for her?  
"Hey Ali, how'd you like to have a sleepover with Uncle Shannon tonight?"  
Ali gasped and her eyes lit up.  
"Cool! Sleepover!"  
"Um, dude?"  
"Trust me, Shan. Jez still rooming with you on the road?"  
"Yeah."  
"Good."  
And father and daughter walked off, leaving Shannon confused.

Ali bounced up and down as she dragged the little green suitcase behind her, excited for her sleepover.  
"Daddy, who's Jez?"  
"Uncle Kane and Uncle Taker's sister, baby doll."  
"Oh. Cool."  
Jeff chuckled and knocked on the door, smiling at Jez when it opened.  
"Hey there."  
"Hey Jeff. And you must be Ali," Jez said as she crouched and smiled at the little girl.  
"Mhm! And I brought all my stuff so that we can have fun!"  
"That's good, sweetie. Do you like movies?"  
"Yes ma'am."  
Jez opened the door wider and led the two of them inside, where Ali set her suitcase by the bathroom.  
"Tristen told me what happened," the red-haired woman whispered to Jeff. "Call me if he shows up, alright?"  
"Will do."  
"Daddy?"  
"Yes Ali?"  
"Where you goin?"  
Jeff bit the inside of his cheek, unsure of how to proceed.  
"I'm going to take Miss Lindsey to dinner."  
"Oh. Did you get her a flower?"  
He blinked at the nonchalant way she'd asked him.  
"Am I supposed to?"  
"Mhm! That's what Auntie Trish says you're supposed to do. Uncle Kane gets her and Auntie Tristen flowers all the time."  
He ruffled her hair and crouched so that she could hug him.  
"Guess I'll have to do that then, huh baby girl?"  
"Of course Daddy."  
Jeff stood up and waved to Jez and Shannon before walking out.

Lindsey sat on her bed, mindlessly flipping through the channels on the television. She had nothing to do.  
Her phone vibrated and she looked at it, smiling as she noticed it was a text from Jeff.  
~What are you doing tonight?  
~Sitting in my hotel room with horrible television. Why?  
~Wanna have dinner with me?  
Lindsey blinked, read the message again.  
~Dinner?  
~Yeah dinner. You know, the meal that comes at the end of the day before you sleep?  
~Smartass. I'd love to.  
~Great. Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes.

Jeff bit his lip as he sat on the bench, a single pink tulip in his hand. He was worried about tonight. If it didn't go like he wanted, and he screwed it up, he'd be kicking himself for years.  
"Something wrong?"  
He looked up to reply and gaped.  
Lindsey was wearing an old Metallica shirt with a pair of skintight black jeans, her hair wavy and framing her face perfectly.  
"Wow. Lindsey you look amazing."  
"No. Really? I just threw this on."  
Jeff stood and offered an arm, which Lindsey took with a smile as he led her out to his car.

Ali giggled as Jez braided her freshly-colored green and black hair.  
"What's so funny, little Enigma?"  
"Daddy's on a date with Miss Lindsey."  
"Yeah? I heard you were playin' matchmaker for them."  
"Mhm. Daddy likes her, but he too scared to say it. I helped him though."  
Jez smiled.  
"Good job, Ali."  
"I just hope she likes him too. I wants her to be my mommy."  
Biting her lip, the redhead phrased the question carefully.  
"Ali honey? What happened to your other mommy?"  
The slump of the little girl's shoulders worried Jez, but the sniffling made her turn Ali to face her.  
"Shh... It's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to tell me. I didn't mean to make you cry."  
Ali wrapped her arms around Jez and buried her face in her shirt.  
"He killed her."  
"Who killed her, baby?"  
"Dominic. He beat me a lot, 'fore I ran away and found Daddy Jeff."  
Jez hugged her tighter, closing her eyes to avoid crying herself.  
"I'm so sorry, honey. You didn't deserve any of that and you'll never have to go through it again, okay? We won't let you."  
Ali nodded before looking up at her tearfully.  
"Do you have kids?"  
"Not yet I don't. But I want to someday."  
"And you're gonna keep them safe?"  
"As safe as I possibly can."  
"Good. You'd be a good mommy."  
Jez smiled and wiped the child's eyes, hugging her tightly.  
"Thank you, sweetheart."


End file.
